CPRC Cross-Cutting Research Themes

Gender

Ongoing Policy Analysis

Women, Children, Households and the Recession

The gendered impact of the recession and long term implications is of immediate concern. CPRC is working on two pieces of research synthesis and policy analysis in collaboration with ODI and UNICEF.  The first is a review of recession impacts and implications for children and their life course and the second a more in-depth analysis of past recessions in four regional studies with implications in relation to the current recession, for women and children.

Women and Politics

This project seeks to unpack incidences of and the potential for political change facilitated through social movements, to improve the rights and position of women and thereby alleviate incidences of chronic poverty (as disproportionately experienced by women). The literature review will first look at the broad context of women’s political opportunity structures, the current status of women in politics and gaps and opportunities for better representation and change. It will then focus upon social movements, in which section we shall examine their organisation principles, their structure, their ability to be ‘pro-poor’ and lastly their ability to exact sustainable political and social change.

Natural Resource Management

This research project centres upon women’s natural resource management (NRM), with a specific focus upon the formation of social movements mobilizing around NRM. This review examines the disproportionate role that women play in the production of food and control over natural resources whilst at the same time managing considerable household responsibilities, thereby exposing them to incidences of acute or chronic poverty. By focusing upon NRM-related social movements we examine the particular grievances of rural women (the largest demographic suffering from chronic poverty), the socio-cultural and legal barriers that limit their participation in development and the potential for rural women to act as agents of  their own development and change.